uniform is red,
too, though not quite so red, nor yet so elegant, as that of the men in
his Majesty's service. I am one of the underground captains, sir, of
Botallack mine."

Captain Dan's colour heightened a very little, and the tones of his
voice became a little more powerful as he concluded this reply; but
there was no other indication that the enthusiastic soul of one of the
"captains" of the most celebrated mine in Cornwall was moved. Oliver
felt, however, the contact with a kindred spirit, and, expressing much
interest in the mines, proceeded to ask many questions of the captain,
who, nothing loath, answered all his queries, and explained to him that
he was one of the "captains," or "agents," whose duty it was to
superintend the men and the works below the surface--hence the title of
"underground;" while those who super-intended the works above ground
were styled "grass, or surface captains." He also made an appointment
to conduct the young doctor underground, and go over the mine with him
at an early date.

While the party in old Mr Donnithorne's dwelling were thus enjoying
themselves, a great storm was gathering, and two events, very different
from each other in character, were taking place--the one quiet, and
apparently unimportant, the other tremendous and fatal--both bearing on
and seriously influencing the subjects of our tale.

CHAPTER FOUR.

AT WORK UNDER THE SEA.

Chip, chip, chip--down in the dusky mine! Oh, but the rock at which the
miner chipped was hard, and the bit of rock on which he sat was hard,
and the muscles with which he toiled were hard from prolonged labour;
and the lot of the man seemed hard, as he sat there in the hot, heavy
atmosphere, hour after hour, from morn till eve, with the sweat pouring
down his brow and over his naked shoulders, toiling and moiling with
hammer and chisel.

But stout David Trevarrow did not think his lot peculiarly hard. His
workshop was a low narrow tunnel deep down under the surface of the
earth--ay, and deep under the bottom of the sea! His daily sun was a
tallow candle, which rose regularly at seven in the morning and set at
three in the afternoon. His atmosphere was sadly deficient in
life-giving oxygen, and much vitiated by gunpowder smoke. His working
costume consisted only of a pair of linen trousers; his colour from top
to toe was red as brick-dust, owing to the iron ore around him; his food
was a slice of bread, with, perchance, when